Put on your thinking hats!
I've been wanting to run a druid-centered storyline for some time. The druids in this world are your traditional guardians of the wild, they're less traditionally mediators between the cities/farmlands and the wilderness, and they work with spirits as well as the gods of nature.
This storyline would potentially run just a handful of sessions. I've just had trouble coming up with something that short that isn't "protect the forest."
I love the Native American and Old World mythos. I love the fae. All of these ideas are on the table.
Levels could range from 2-10.
I could use some ideas.
...help?
PS For literary safety, I'll be modifying ideas somewhat, on the off-chance one of my players ends up reading this!
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Perhaps a civil war or sorts between druid factions. Like a group a druids made a secret pact with a darker power to rid themselves of the human infestation.
Maybe with a slow burn so that the players at first are siding with these druids but then it just gets too heavy and they have to fight back against this faction.
Could be a lot of moral drama.
I'm looking forward to seeing what people come up with as I love threads like these.
-MD
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Well, if it is druid-centered, then one way to go is the make the druids powerful. How about there exists a life form in the forest that is incredibly powerful, that only the druids can communicate with?
The life form could be something abstract, or something physical, but very alien. It could even be an ancient fae, or an avatar of a nature god.
By communicating with this life form, the druids have learned a great deal, and are able to create powerful magical items that are nature-based.
Thus druids could become similar to jedi in Star Wars - guardians of the people. They use their powers and the whatever advanced abilities/items you wish to give them from their relationship with the life form.
Possible adventures could include the PCs trying to learn more about the life form, protecting it from those who would do it harm (it may not be in any real danger, but its the thought that counts.)
Druids could be sent out solo or in pairs to investigate certain areas, and need PCs as guides. Then, the druids get into some trouble/get sidetracked/go away and the PCs have to save the day.
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I love playing druids, so this sounds like a lot of fun! :-)
One idea might be to create a group of druids that after years of adventuring together with their animal companions, they decide to Awaken (per the spell) their companions and give them their own decision to continue to join them or go off and do their own thing. So the animal companions, after years of being told what to do and to run into battle to save their masters, have decided they want the power to rule over people. They run off and find a large city to take over and run a criminal empire like "the mob", and enjoy the sweet life of having people serve them. The druids find out what they've done and step up to raise an army to overtake their former companions, realizing the mistake they've made. That's where the PCs come in. The animals might have found some sort of old magical relic that turns people into lycanthropes and serve the animals in their army against the druids (perhaps something the druids had uncovered years ago adventuring and thought they destroyed). But it would all make an awesome investigation for the PCs to find out all this backstory and what's happening to all the farmers and villagers that have gone missing (if they were turned into werewolves, etc). And figuring out how to infiltrate this animal "mob" and destroy it from the inside out or just join the army against them. It could be very interesting as a moral dilemma for the druids and the PCs, to destroy their former animal companions with NEW animal companions and having them look at how they are treating nature. Plus you'd get to create NPCs that are sentient animals and giving them class ranks and stuff. Especially creating a story for the fey caught in the middle - to side with the animals or the druids?
Just a thought. :-)
Have fun with your story, however you decide to do it. :-)
If you don't want a "protect the forest" story, do the opposite: the druids have to protect civilization from the unrestrained power of nature.
Civilization has left the primordial religions behind in favor of high-rise cathedrals and structured ritual. The ancient gods are jealous, and though they are not as all powerful as they once were now that they have lost worshipper, they are still strong enough to take most of civilization down with them if unchecked.
For an added bonus, halfway through the adventure, throw something at the players that makes them unsure whether or not they should kill the gods or join them in destroying civilization.